5 Vikings who could benefit most from their bye week

Greg Joseph – K

Maybe the Vikings having a reliable kicker was something that was too good to be true. After a blistering training camp where reporters were raving about how great Greg Joseph looked, Minnesota’s kicker has come back down to Earth in a harsh way.

Joseph has hit on less than 70 percent of his field goal attempts this season, and he has only converted 86 percent of his extra-point attempts.

That is just not acceptable for an NFL kicker. While all of his field goal misses have come from more than 50 yards away, which is no easy task, it is obvious to fans that he has the leg strength to reach. But his accuracy on his attempts has been hectic.

In a league where kickers are increasing their range and their accuracy at a rapid pace, the Vikings need Joseph to step things up.

The struggles of Joseph are greater amplified when you look at former Minnesota kicker Daniel Carlson, who is arguably playing like a top-three kicker right now and is perfect on the season in his field goal attempts.

Joseph could really use the bye week to get his mind in order, as consistently missing kicks has no doubt taken a toll on his mental approach. He has shown that he has what it takes to be a stud at the kicker position. The week off for him should hopefully work wonders and allow him to get back into form.